Sandown, NH Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

Home · Flood · Condo · Renters · Umbrella · Sandown, New Hampshire

Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is an independent agency founded in 2005 and licensed in 10 states. We are the most-reviewed independent insurance agency in New Hampshire, with 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials across our two offices. We shop each Sandown home across 40+ carriers, and we charge no fees. Start with New Hampshire homeowners insurance, or read on.

Sandown at a glance

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 6,753 Sandown residents as of July 1, 2025 (6,564 in the April 2020 estimates base). The town’s 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan, prepared with the Rockingham Planning Commission and adopted by the Board of Selectmen on September 13, 2021, describes Sandown as a rural community of 14 square miles plus 0.4 square miles of inland water, with scattered homes surrounded by forest and wetlands along the Exeter River, Phillips Pond and Angle Pond.

The plan puts Sandown in two watersheds, the Exeter River and the Merrimack River, and quotes the 2013 Master Plan: the Exeter River runs through the heart of town, and most of the land beside it is floodplain. Angle Pond, the largest pond, is partly in Hampstead. The plan names Phillips, Cub, Lily, Hunt, Showell and Punch ponds as well, and says both Angle and Phillips ponds have significant residential development along their shores.

The plan expects commercial growth to stay along Route 111, with new homes spreading through town as development pressure grows. For insurance, that means mostly single-family houses, a good number of them on or near the water.

Where you live in Sandown changes the policy

• Wood Duck Circle and the Exeter River. The plan lists Wood Duck Circle, beside the Exeter River, first among the areas most likely to flood. It says the 100-year floodplain in Sandown runs mainly along the Exeter River and Cub Pond, plus an isolated area on the northern border with Chester.
• North Shore Road and Phillips Pond. North Shore Road, along the northeast edge of Phillips Pond, is on the flood list. Pond lots can raise both flood and water-backup questions, and a former camp has to be insured as the year-round house it may now be.
• Route 121A at Deer Run Road, and Hampstead Road at Metacomet Drive. Both are on the plan’s list of chronic flood spots. The plan’s action list includes working with NHDOT to raise the road surface at Deer Run Road and Route 121A.
• The three dams. The plan lists the dam at Angle Pond beside Route 121A/Main Street and two dams on the Exeter River, one upstream of Odell Road and one at 165 Fremont Road. All three are rated low hazard by NH DES, and the town has not had a dam failure.

Flood coverage in Sandown

Sandown joined the Regular Program of the NFIP on January 1, 2003. The plan’s FEMA figures (February 2020) showed 5 policies in force with about $1.4 million of coverage, and 1 paid residential loss since 1978, with no repetitive loss properties.

The plan says roads along the Exeter River and its wetlands flooded in the October 2011 nor’easter, Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and a March 2018 storm, and rates the chance of roadway flooding from rain and snowmelt as high. Five policies in a town of more than 6,700 suggests most homes near the river and ponds have no flood coverage.

A homeowners policy will not pay for a river or pond over its banks, or for surface water. Flood is its own policy. Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and ask us to compare NFIP and private flood.

• NFIP through Selective. We write National Flood Insurance Program policies through Selective, a Write Your Own carrier. The NFIP covers up to $250,000 for the building and $100,000 for contents. New policies generally have a 30-day waiting period (see FloodSmart), so buy before storm season, not during it.
• Private flood. When a home costs more than the NFIP building limit to rebuild, or you want coverage the NFIP leaves out, we compare Flow Flood, Neptune Flood, Beyond Floods, The Flood Insurance Agency, CatCoverage and Aon Edge. Each one decides address by address.
• Elevation certificates. If you have one, send it. If the house has been raised or has flood vents, it can make a real difference in how flood carriers rate it.

Water backup (sewer, drain or sump pump failure) is an add-on to homeowners; flood is separate. If your basement is finished, ask about both. See basement flooding coverage and our flood insurance overview.

Other hazards in the Sandown plan

The committee rated severe winter weather high and wildfire moderate, citing more frequent drought, and rated earthquake and drought low. It flags the southeast part of town and the Town Forest for wildfire risk, and notes that drought can affect wells and aquifers across Sandown, with dry spells in 2016, 2020 and 2021.

For a homeowner, most Sandown losses start with trees, wind and water: roofs, basements, wells and outbuildings. We review wind, water backup, flood and well coverage on every Sandown homeowners quote.

Winter, trees and wind in Sandown

The plan says Hurricanes Irene and Sandy caused localized flooding and power loss in Sandown, high-wind events in 2010, 2014 and 2016 brought extensive outages and downed trees, a March 2010 storm damaged roads and culverts, and the October 2011 “Halloween storm” caused widespread outages and closed roads. For homeowners, that means ice dams, frozen pipes, snow loads and trees on roofs. These are generally homeowners claims, subject to your deductible and policy terms. A properly sized wind and all-perils deductible, and a roof in good shape, do more for most homeowners than any single add-on. Water damage from a burst pipe is usually covered when the home is heated and occupied; long vacancies can change that, so tell us if the house will sit empty.

Larger homes

Under about $2 million, most of our 40+ carriers are in play. In New Hampshire, Andover generally writes homeowners up to about $1.5 million, or closer to $1 million for homes far from a hydrant or fire station. Around $2 million to $3 million, Hanover is often a fit; above $3 million, Cincinnati; and at $5 million and up, Chubb. Each carrier underwrites the specific house, so these are starting points, not promises.

Newer Sandown homes and renovated houses on Phillips and Angle ponds can cost far more to rebuild than their assessment suggests, so we start with a replacement-cost estimate. See high-value home insurance in New Hampshire.

Condos, rentals and older homes

Your HO-6 condo policy covers what the association’s master policy does not. See condo insurance in New Hampshire. If you rent out a house in Sandown, you need a dwelling or landlord policy; for New Hampshire landlord and habitational placements we work with Vermont Mutual, Andover, Safety, Concord Group and Providence Mutual. For an older home or a converted pond camp, carriers will ask about the roof, heating, wiring, plumbing, well and septic, and whether the house is lived in year-round.

Renters and tenants in Sandown

If you rent in Sandown, your landlord’s policy covers the building, not your belongings or your liability. A renters policy covers both, plus extra living costs after a covered loss. We shop renters coverage across our carriers, and Progressive Home is one of them; we use Progressive Home for renters policies only. Landlords who own two- to four-family buildings can see landlord insurance.

Auto, umbrella and the rest of the household

Most Sandown households also need auto insurance, and many add a personal umbrella. Sandown commuters rely on Routes 111 and 121A, and the plan lists Route 121A at Deer Run Road among its flood spots, so a good auto policy and roadside coverage are worth a look. We quote them with the home so the liability limits line up, and we put rentals, second homes, boats and valuables under the same review. One agent, one renewal conversation.

Common coverage gaps we see in Sandown

• A dwelling limit based on the purchase price or assessed value instead of the cost to rebuild
• No water backup coverage on a house with a finished basement
• Personal property limits that have not kept up with what the household actually owns
• Liability limits on the home and auto that do not line up with an umbrella, or no umbrella at all
• No ordinance or law coverage on an older home that would need code upgrades after a loss
• No flood policy on a home near the Exeter River, Phillips Pond, Angle Pond or a listed road
• A pond camp that is now used year-round but still insured as seasonal
• A private well with no plan for a dry summer

Most of these are straightforward to fix once someone reads the declarations pages side by side, and that is the first thing we do in a review.

Before storm season in Sandown

• Know your hurricane or named-storm deductible in dollars, not just as a percentage
• Photograph or video each room so a contents claim is easier to document
• Keep your declarations pages, flood policy and any elevation certificate somewhere you can reach from your phone
• If you are thinking about flood coverage, buy it well ahead of a storm because of the waiting period
• If you live near Wood Duck Circle, North Shore Road or another listed flood spot, keep sump-pump and elevation records handy
• Know how you will run your well pump and heat in a long power outage

Buying a home in Sandown

Start the insurance conversation before you are under contract, not the week of closing. Send us the listing and the inspection report when you have it. The report answers most of what carriers ask: roof age, electrical panel, heating, plumbing and any water in the basement. Near the Exeter River, a pond or a plan-listed road, ask for any elevation certificate and the seller’s flood history. For a pond property, confirm whether it is winterized and used year-round. We line up the homeowners binder, and a flood binder if you need one, so both are ready for your lender.

How a Sandown home quote works

• Tell us about the house: address, year built, square footage, roof age and updates to wiring, plumbing and heating.
• Send your current declarations page so we can compare like for like and point out limits that look short.
• We shop the carriers that fit and lay the options out side by side, with the differences in coverage, deductibles and storm terms, not just price.
• You choose, and we handle the switch, including your mortgage company and the effective date, so there is no gap.

Serving Sandown from Portsmouth

Our office is at 601 Islington St, Unit 206, Portsmouth, NH 03801, and we work with Sandown clients by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020. Nearby, see our Danville, Fremont, Hampstead and Derry pages.

Sources

• Town of Sandown, Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2021 (Rockingham Planning Commission)
• U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 subcounty population estimates
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center
• FloodSmart, buying a flood policy

Get a quote

Tell us about the property and we will compare carriers and follow up with options. Prefer to talk? Call (603) 431-4020.

Frequently asked questions

Do you insure homes in Sandown, NH?

Yes. We insure Sandown homes from our Portsmouth office at 601 Islington St, and by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020.

Does Sandown flood?

In documented spots. The town’s 2021 hazard mitigation plan lists Wood Duck Circle by the Exeter River, Route 121A at Deer Run Road, North Shore Road on Phillips Pond and Hampstead Road at Metacomet Drive as the areas most likely to flood. Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.

Does homeowners insurance cover a flooded basement?

Not from flood. Water backup from sewers, drains or a sump pump is an add-on, and rising or surface water needs a flood policy.

Who writes your NFIP flood policies?

We write NFIP policies through Selective, and we compare private flood from Flow Flood, Neptune Flood, Beyond Floods, The Flood Insurance Agency, CatCoverage and Aon Edge.

Do you charge fees?

No. We don’t charge fees on any policy we write, including homeowners, condo, renters, landlord, dwelling and auto.